Alkali metal titanates



Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALKALI METAL TITANATES Joachim Rockstroh, Cologne-Deutz, Germany, as-

Signor, by mesne assignments, to National Lead Company, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application July 14, 1934, Serial No. 735,289. In Germany August 22, 1933 7 Claims. (Cl. 23-51) This invention relates to the manufacture of ployed for the manufacture of other titanium alkali metal titanates by heating titanium oxygen compounds, for instance, organic titanium comcompounds with alkalies, more particularly it pounds, since contaminations of these comrelates to subjecting dry and pulverized mixpounds, for instance of alkali metal titanium tures of titanium oxygen compounds and alkaoxalic acid solutions with alkali metal sulfate, 5

lies to heat treatment below the melting point are thus avoided. of the alkali employed. The process can be carried out in such a man- Alkali metal titanates may be produced by ner that dried meta titanic acid or calcined tiheating titanium dioxide with alkali metal hytanium dioxide is intimately mixed with dry droxides or alkali metal carbonates to temperapowdery alkali metal hydroxide or oxide and is 10 tures of GOO-700 C. It is known that the manuheated to the appropriate temperature in a refacture of alkali metal titanates can also be peraction vessel suitable for this purpose, for informed at lower temperatures of 80200 C., if stance, in an iron pan which may be provided hydrated titanium oxygen compounds are heated with a stirrer. The temperature most favorable with alkalies. In this process a paste made of for carrying out the process is from about 150 15 hydrated titanic acid and water and containing to about 220 C., but also lower or higher temper- 30% of TiOz is produced, the mixture is treated atures up to below the melting point of the alkali with the necessary quantity of alkali metal carmetal hydroxide or oxide may be employed. The bonate or hydroxide and heated to a temperahigher the temperature the more rapidly the reture of between 80 and 200 C. The water thereaction is complete and the higher rises the con- 20 by evaporates. The products thus obtained altent of titanium of the product within certain ways contain alkali metal sulfates because the ranges, since the technical alkali metal hydroxhydrated meta titanic acids obtained from 171- ide or oxide always contains a certain quantity tanium sulfate solutions by the known methods of water which evaporates during the heating always contain some sulfate. process. Besides this, the quantity of water 25 In accordance with1 the present invention it formed according to the equation has been found that t e formation of alkali metal titanates readily occurs on intimately mixing T102+2K0H=K2T1O3+H20 dry titanic acid and solid alkali metal hydroxide must be taken into consideration. The alkali or oxide and heating the mixture to a temperametal hydroxide or oxide may be applied in such 30 ture of about 150-220 C. This process offers quantities that meta titanates of the formula many advantages because no evaporation of a MezTiOs are formed. But also smaller quantities large quantity of Water necessary for carrying of alkali may be applied so that products of a out the process in accordance with the known higher TiOz content are formed. When producmethods takes place. Thus no waste of energy ing sodium titanate a slight excess of sodium 35 occurs. Further, it is known that an aqueous hydroxide or oxide is preferred since, as is known, paste of titanic acid hydrate and alkali metal the action of sodium hydroxide on titanium oxyhydroxide on heating and drying tends to spray gen compounds is not as strong as the action of and thereby endangers the workmen. This dispotassium hydroxide or oxide on titanium oxy- 40 advantage is overcome by the new process. gen compounds. In the same manner also 40 Further, it has been found that not only dried caesium, rubidium and lithium titanates may be titanic acid without the addition of water reacts produced. After the heat treatment the prodwith alkali metal hydroxide at moderately high uct may be ground with or without additions or temperatures with the formation of alkali metal it may be used directly for the manufacture of titanates, but also that calcined titanium dioxide other titanium compounds. 45 can be converted into alkali metal titanate in The invention is further illustrated by the folthe same manner. This is surprising since, as lowing example: is known, the reactivity of titanic acid is greatly ExampZe.-500 parts by weight of titanium direduced by calcining. A great advantage of the oxide, produced from hydrolytically precipitated new process is to be seen therein that it becomes meta titanic acid by heating for one hour to 50 possible to use titanium dioxide which by calcin- 950 C. and which contains no sulfate, are intiing has been completely liberated from sulfuric mately mixed with 750 parts by weight of techniacid, so that titanates free from alkali metal cal, powdery potassium hydroxide and heated ina' sulfate can be produced. This is of especial addrier for about three quarters of an hour to vantage if the alkali metal titanate is to be em- ISO- C. The white product consists of 55 K2TlO3 which is soluble in cold hydrochloric acid and contains a small amount of insoluble residue (T102) It is free from sulfate.

The expressions oxygen compound of titanium and oxygen compound of an alkali metal used in the claims are intended to comprise the oxides as well as the hydroxides of titanium and the alkali metals.

I claim:

1. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate, which comprises intimately mixing a dry and pulverized artificially prepared titaniumoxygen compound with a dry and pulverized oxygen compound of an alkali metal and heating the mixture so obtained to a temperature of about C. to 220 C. until formation of alkali metal titanate is substantially complete.

2. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate, which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared titanium dioxide with a dry and pulverized oxygen compound of an alkali metal and heating the mixture so obtained to a temperature of about 150 C. to 220 C. until formation of alkali metal titanate is substantially complete.

3. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared meta-titanic acid with a dry and pulverized oxygen compound of an alkali metal and heating the mixture so obtained at temperatures between about 150 C. and 220 C. until formation of the alkali titanate is substantially complete.

4. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared titanium dioxide with dry and pulverized potassium hydroxide and heating the mixture so obtained at temperatures between about 150 C. and 220 C. until formation of the alkali titanate is substantially complete.

5. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared meta-titanic acid with dry and pulverized potassium hydroxide and heating the mixture so obtained at temperatures between about 150 C. and 220 C. until formation of the alkali titanate is substantially complete.

6. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared titanium dioxide with dry and pulverized sodium hydroxide and heating the mixture so obtained at temperatures between about 150 C. and 220 C. until formation of the alkali titanate is substantially complete. 1

'7. The process of preparing an alkali metal titanate which comprises intimately mixing dry and pulverized artificially prepared meta-titanic acid with dry and pulverized sodium hydroxide and heating the mixture. so obtained at temperatures between about 150 C. and 220 C. until formation of the alkali titanate is substantially complete.

JOACHIM ROCKSTROH. 

